Atlanta Jewish Times (April 15, 2021)
Philanthropist Bruce Weinstein will be recognized April 27 at Hillels of Georgia’s annual event, this year a virtual Hillel Heroes 2021. Weinstein will receive The Billi and Bernie Marcus Visionary Award, which is given to a Georgia philanthropist in recognition of their support of Hillel and the greater Jewish community.
The award first presented to Billi and Bernie Marcus in 2018 was named in their honor for their support of Hillels of Georgia and has helped students build a vibrant community and make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel.
Hillel serves over 5,000 Jewish students on 24 campuses, and leaders of the organization say it has been especially impactful during the pandemic as students have needed more support than ever.
Weinstein shared with the AJT, “Hillel provides a Jewish ‘home away from home’ for our college students on campuses across Georgia. It is a safe place for our Jewish students from bigotry and antisemitism, which is so predominant on college campuses in today’s times. We enhance their Jewish pride and identities. Most importantly, Hillel is preparing our next generation of Jewish leaders.
“Over 50 percent of Jewish college graduates from all campuses in Georgia settle in Atlanta. If we want to continue having a vibrant Jewish community, then it is so important that all Atlantans support the great work of Hillel, because we are preparing that next generation of leaders.”
Weinstein supports a long list of community causes. He is a principal of Your Wealth Partners, a trustee and past officer of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta and volunteered as a coach with youth sports for over 30 years. A proud alum of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, Weinstein served as national president of the ZBT Foundation and implemented new Legacy Gifting programs. An alumnus of the University of Alabama, he was co-chair with the university president of a committee to encourage recruitment of Jewish students.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta recognized Weinstein with the Mary and Max London “People Power Award” for his role as the Atlanta chairperson of the 2001 Maccabi Game and he served as the chairperson of the Atlanta Senior Olympics. ZBT presented Weinstein with the National Outstanding Alumni Volunteer Award and in 2016 he was inducted into ZBT’s Psi Chapter Hall of Fame.
“We are proud to present Bruce Weinstein with the Billi and Bernie Marcus Visionary Award for his lifetime commitment and leadership to the Jewish community,” said Hillels of Georgia CEO Elliot Karp. “Bruce has served with distinction on Hillels of Georgia’s Board of Directors for more than 10 years and is most deserving of the Billi and Bernie Marcus Visionary Award for his leadership to Hillel and many other Jewish organizations in our community. Bruce is passionate about Hillel and the thousands of Jewish college students we serve on more than two dozen campuses across the state. He is a strong advocate of Hillel’s mission, which seeks to create vibrant Jewish life on campus helping to ensure that Jewish college students make an enduring commitment to the Jewish people, community and Israel.”
Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, a Holocaust historian, Emory University professor and Hillel partner is also being honored at the virtual event as one of the Hillel Heroes. “Hillel has been and remains Jewish students’ primary address for their range of Jewish activities. I am exceptionally impressed, as I travel the country (both in person and virtually) by the quality of Hillel professionals.”
Other Hillel Heroes to be recognized at the event are: Dr. Karen Berman, founder of the Hillel at Georgia College; Dr. Josh Rothstein, a UGA alumni and Northside Hospital emergency room doctor, working the frontlines during the pandemic; and a group of UGA Hillel students: Allison Fine, Ciera Thomas, Kara Litwin and Sarah Martynov. They convinced the UGA administration to adopt the official definition of anti-Semitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
To register and receive a link to the live virtual event, visit https://www.hillelsofgeorgia.org/annual-event
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